Pastor Tim's Link of the Week
May 2, 2008
This has been a huge week in the United Methodist Church (UMC) and in the Virginia UMC. Not only has the
General Conference of the UMC met in Ft. Worth, TX, but there has also been a series of tornadoes which
touched down on Monday. As such, our state and Conference have been active and engaged in serious work for
the building of the Kingdom. At General Conference, representatives of the Virginia Annual Conference met with
representatives from all over the world, making decisions which affect the history and life of our Church, and in
Suffolk we are responding to needs for assistance after disaster.
Because of this, I invite you to go to the Virginia Conference web site. There you'll be able to look over the
daily work of the General Conference and see what happened and what decisions were made. You'll also be
able to access updates as to appropriate responses to the disaster that hit so close to home. (We will also be
sending out any updates of information on how we can respond, once we receive definitive instructions from the
Conference offices)
Update May 4, 2008: Hello Friends, a devotional has been developed by a task force in the Virginia Annual
Conference, which has put together a plan to develop 250 new faith communities over the next 30 years. Much
time and effort has gone into their work, and this is a key part of the upcoming Annual Conference in June. This
devotional begins on Monday, May 5, 2008, which is 40 days before our gathering in Roanoke. I invite you to
join me in sharing these devotionals over the next 40 days, and praying for our Church and our future.
Grace and peace,
Tim
April 25, 2008
Today is Malaria Awareness Day, and Sunday we will receive an offering to help eliminate malaria from the
planet, through the purchase of mosquito nets for families who cannot afford them. Did you know that malaria
kills one person every 30 seconds, most of whom are children? Did you know that the United Methodist Church,
the National Basketball League, and Sports Illustrated have partnered to do something about this?
Check out these two sites, UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission) and Nothing But Nets, and
learn about how easy and important it is for us to help make a difference and save lives.
April 18, 2008
Every four years, there is a meeting of United Methodists from all over the world, called General Conference.
Each Annual Conference of the church sends a representative group of people to General Conference for 10
days, to do the business of the church, worship together, and proclaim the Gospel message as the portion of the
Body of Christ called "United Methodists." On Wednesday, April 23rd, General Conference begins in Fort Worth,
TX, and it will continue through May 2nd. You might want to keep watch in the news for statements from the
Church and/or updates on how things are going, but one of the ways we can stay connected to the work of this
body is to go to the General Conference 2008 web site. Here you can track legislation, get updates on the
events and worship, and share in prayer for those who are guiding our Church.
As you go through this week, I invite you to check in at least once a day. See what other UM members are
saying, and listen for Christ's voice, as the people of the United Methodist Church receive and follow the
movement of the Spirit, leading us toward God's future.
April 11, 2008
We have a special treat in store for Sunday Worship. We will be celebrating Native American Sunday, and part of
our outreach ministry has been focused very deliberately in sharing Christ's love with a local Native Tribe, the
Mattaponi. Over the last year and a half, we've developed a relationship with them that has included Mattaponi
worshipping with us, our providing nursing care and financial help to the reservation clinic, and recently we've
been doing repairs to the home of the chief of that tribe. Indeed, God is using us to care for them, but even more
powerfully, God is caring for and teaching us about ourselves through them.
This Sunday, we will have honorary Mattaponi member and regular Wellspring attendee, Angie “Silver Star”
Daniel, share with us some history of the Mattaponi and the Church's impact upon the tribe. In addition, Sharon
Sun Eagle will lead our prayer at both services, and The Custalow Brothers will sing for us at 10:45. Our own
Fred Dellamura will share with us words about the work team that has been a part of the repairs, and we'll
experience the joy of that work through pictures. This is a time to learn and celebrate what God is doing through
the Mattaponi to teach Wellspring more about what it means to care as Jesus cares, and I pray you'll be here to
celebrate.
If you want to learn more about the Mattaponi, I invite you to go to Mattaponi Indian Reservation to learn a
little bit about who the Mattaponi are.
April 4, 2008
If you were not here on Sunday, you might not have received the news that in June I will be moving to be the
pastor of another congregation, and a new pastor will be leading Wellspring. In the wake of the news,
appropriately, there have been lots of questions about the process by which the United Methodist Church assigns
pastors and matches pastors with churches. The process is called "The Itineracy," and I invite you to go to
Itineracy in the United Methodist Church to learn more about this unique and important aspect of our Church.
March 28, 2008
We have just completed an intense and wonderful liturgical season. Lent and Easter invite us to develop and
nurture our relationship with God, and that is a great blessing. The intent of Lenten study and devotion is to help
us develop new habits and build up our faith. However, it is very easy for us to step away from Lent and go back
to the old patterns of spotty prayer or time with God.
That being said, the opportunity before us is to continue building our relationship with God. It is to continue the
disciplines of faith and take the time to simply be with God.
To help out with this, I invite you to go to: Belief Net - Guided Mediations. There are a few guided
meditations listed, including some outside the Christian faith. These can be a wonderful way to center ourselves
as well as connect with God. Try it out, and see if you can continue what God has begun in you through Lent.
FYI – I am an occasional contributor to the online devotional, www.d365.org. Sunday through Saturday, my
submissions will be online if anyone would like to check them out.
March 21, 2008 - Good Friday
We are experiencing the Stations of the Cross today at the church, but there are other ways in which the stations
can be shared, including online. Check these out:
Stations of the Cross for Children
Stations of the Cross for Young Adults
Stations of the Cross with a focus on injustice and hunger
(Flash presentation takes a few moments to load, but WELL worth it)
A 360 degree angle of the Stations on the Via Dolorosa
The Stations for Children and Families
March 14, 2008
Sunday is Palm Sunday, and every Palm Sunday we receive Palms, many of which the children want to have
folded into Palm Crosses. I’m not great at this, but I did do a little research on how to fold them. So that I’m not
the only one doing this for the kids, here are a couple of sites, so you can practice making Palm Crosses.
St. Andrew & St. John - Folding Palm Crosses
King of Peace Palm Crosses
March 7, 2008
REMEMBER to move your clocks ahead 1 hour on Saturday night before you go to bed! It’s DAYLIGHT SAVING
TIME! Did you ever wonder why we “spring forward and fall back”? Do you ever want to know the origin of
Daylight Saving Time? Where did it start? What does it mean? Is it really necessary?
To answer these questions and more, go to: http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/d.html
February 29, 2008
This afternoon Cindi Eicher and I head to Washington DC for our Confirmation Retreat. There we will visit be
hosted by Metropolitan Memorial UMC, and tomorrow we will visit and learn about Wesley Seminary, the
Washington National Cathedral, and the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This is an opportunity for
our youth to learn more about the larger Church, but also experience what it means to be disciples of the God
whose love and work is revealed across the globe.
As you go through this weekend, I invite you to pray for us. First for safety and discovery, but also pray that we
will experience God's love and grace in powerful ways during this trip. Take some time to look at these web site,
so you might experience a bit of what we will be experiencing, then the next time you see us, please take the time
to ask us how the trip was. You might even ask if we saw "Darth Vadar"! (hint for some web searching at one of
the sites above...)
February 22, 2008
Many of you have visited the Wellspring web site in the past to find out information, read a sermon, or check out a
link of the week. It’s full of all kinds of stuff that we hope helps us to witness our mission to care as Jesus cares in
everything we do. However, if you haven’t been to the web site lately, you’ll want to.
Three weeks ago Lori Puhl began working with us as our Executive Secretary, and she brings with her a
background in web editing and design. Since beginning work she has given our web site a face lift and it debuted
earlier this week, with the final touch added yesterday of a really cool drop-down menu.
So the link of the week this week is… Wellspring United Methodist Church. Come on by and check us out!
**More labyrinth links: After last week’s witness many folks said they liked the labyrinth. Here are some more
labyrinth links to try:
Online translation of the Cathedral Labyrinth;
Explore Faith.org Labyrinth;
The Labyrinth and Inner Peace
February 15, 2008
Lent has always been described as “a journey.” We enter a season where we examine ourselves, reflect upon
God, and share together in moving toward the Cross of Christ. Whenever we encounter things in life which push
us deeper in our faith, we find ourselves changed. We discover things about ourselves. We journey toward God’
s destination for us.
There is an ancient meditation tool known as a “Labyrinth.” The most famous labyrinth is in a cathedral in France
in the town of Chartes. It is simply a pathway which leads toward a central destination, and it’s intent is to draw
the journeyer into a time of reflection about the journey of life and faith. It is a powerful tool, and in fact, there is a
local labyrinth located on the campus of Eastern State Hospital which is open to the public and which was
dedicated by the Stephen Ministers of Wellspring UMC.
In addition to a physical labyrinth, there are on line labyrinths which can give the same sense of entering a
journey toward understanding more of who we are and whose we are. There are a few links that I found in a
google search, but I invite you to go to: The Gratefulness Labyrinth. This one is interesting because it allows
one to move the mouse along the path, but at certain points pictures and reflective sayings come onto the screen
and encourage on to pause and think about life’s journey.
As we journey through Lent, I invite you to try some on line labyrinths or even go to Eastern State and walk the
labyrinth there. Pause from life and take the time to go to God in this unique and powerful means of Grace.
February 8, 2008
During Lent we provide devotions as a means of delving deeper into the spiritual life. This Lent we ordered
devotions which were compiled by The Society of St. Andrew, a ministry on the Eastern Shore of Virginia whose
vision is for all physical and spiritual hunger to be alleviated. I invite you to not just share in the devotionals for
this season but also to go to their website at: http://www.endhunger.org/. Look around. Check out some of
hunger facts, go to the links. Learn about hunger and learn about what you can do. Then allow the Spirit to
speak to you this Lent.
February 1, 2008
Why ashes on Ash Wednesday? Why this season of Lent? Why do we put ourselves through the spiritual
disciplines for 10% of the year? These and other questions are raised by Ken Collins, a friend of mine and fellow
pastor. I invite you to go to: Ken Collins' What's the Reason for Ashes on Ash Wednesday, then follow
some of the links. Ken has a wonderful way of bringing theology, faith, and practice to a level that makes sense
and hits home.
January 25, 2008
My sons came home just before Christmas and shared with us that the computer teacher put before the school a
challenge; to donate 1 million grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. I immediately asked,
“How?” And they took me to the computer and typed in: http://freerice.com/ We spent hours making a way for
donating rice to those in need while also practicing and learning vocabulary words.
Freerice.com is a web site that was started by a man whose son was practicing for his SATs. The son was bored
with vocabulary, so his father set out to challenge him. In doing so, a non-profit was established that is making a
difference to alleviate hunger across the globe.
I invite you to check it out. Not only does it make a way for rice to be donated, but it is a fun game to play.
Though I warn you, it’s highly addictive!
January 18, 2008
Since before my time here at Wellspring, this congregation has been partnering in ministry with the African-
American Baptist Church down the road. In the past we’ve held Vacation Bible School together, worked in
mission, including working together with the County in reaching out to youth at risk, and one of the great
traditions is the pulpit exchange, usually on Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend. That tradition continues this week.
Dr. Whitehead will preach at our 10:45 service, then I will head over to New Zion and preach at their 11:30
service. It is always a blessing.
I not only invite you to be a part of this event by coming to both the 10:45 service and their 11:30 service, but I
also invite you to check out their web site, which is: New Zion Baptist Church As you will see from the pictures
on the site, they are now in their BRAND NEW building, dedicated in the late fall. There you’ll get a sense of the
kind of energy and life of the Spirit which is a part of a great congregation in our community. Check it out and
enjoy!
January 11, 2008
Someone once said that “The Church exists for those outside.” We begin the year recognizing that we are called
to Light to those Outside – that our purpose as the Church is to share Christ’s love with the world. Our focus is
on injustice, compassion, and reaching out to be the hands and hearts of Christ to a world that needs to be loved
by God through us.
Human nature and church tradition, however, have a tendency to work against such ideals, because we like to
believe that the church exists for us, and we are most comfortable in our comfort zones. This is not unique to
Wellspring, but it is part of the constant wrestle of the faithful.
This in itself is worth reflecting upon and striving to accomplish, but there is a heightened sensibility to such ideals
as we take a step back from the everyday and look at some of the data of what God has placed on our path for
the future. That is, Virginia, and specifically James-City County is one of the fastest growing areas of the country,
and as such there is a plentiful harvest which God desires we be a part of receiving.
Here are some statistics: Did you know that it is projected that between 2000-2025, the population of James City
County is supposed to grow by more than 94%? Did you know that Virginia is one of the top 15 states in terms of
attracting young adults, and that our population of children/youth under 18 is projected to increase by more than
25% by 2030? Did you know that by 2030, it is projected that the median age of Virginians will be under 38 years
old?
Think about these statistics, then ask, what are we doing as a church to prepare for such an influx? Even more
importantly, what does God need us to do to meet the needs of such a future?
I invite us each to reflect upon these things, but I also invite you to go to: The Lewis Center for Church
Leadership / Plentiful Harvest . Here are the notes from Lovett Weems’ presentation given to the Virginia
Annual Conference this past June. Click on the links to the notes from the handouts. Download the Powerpoint.
Look at the population projections of “the Four Virginias.” Then pray and reflect, listening for God’s voice. God
is calling us to care as Jesus cares, most especially for those whom God sends our way.
January 4, 2008
We are ending the season of Christmastide and entering Epiphany. How much do you know about each of these
seasons? Why are they important? Check out these links. I learned a few things, and my guess is that you will
too.
During Christmas we sing a song about the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” Do you know what that song is really
about? For the answer, visit Dennis Bratcher's The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Every year on January 6th, we celebrate the Day of Epiphany, followed by the liturgical season of Epiphany. Did
you know that traditionally this is a more important day than Christmas Day? Do you know the significance of this
day and season? Dennis Bractcher also brings you The Season of Epiphany.
May 2, 2008
This has been a huge week in the United Methodist Church (UMC) and in the Virginia UMC. Not only has the
General Conference of the UMC met in Ft. Worth, TX, but there has also been a series of tornadoes which
touched down on Monday. As such, our state and Conference have been active and engaged in serious work for
the building of the Kingdom. At General Conference, representatives of the Virginia Annual Conference met with
representatives from all over the world, making decisions which affect the history and life of our Church, and in
Suffolk we are responding to needs for assistance after disaster.
Because of this, I invite you to go to the Virginia Conference web site. There you'll be able to look over the
daily work of the General Conference and see what happened and what decisions were made. You'll also be
able to access updates as to appropriate responses to the disaster that hit so close to home. (We will also be
sending out any updates of information on how we can respond, once we receive definitive instructions from the
Conference offices)
Update May 4, 2008: Hello Friends, a devotional has been developed by a task force in the Virginia Annual
Conference, which has put together a plan to develop 250 new faith communities over the next 30 years. Much
time and effort has gone into their work, and this is a key part of the upcoming Annual Conference in June. This
devotional begins on Monday, May 5, 2008, which is 40 days before our gathering in Roanoke. I invite you to
join me in sharing these devotionals over the next 40 days, and praying for our Church and our future.
Grace and peace,
Tim
April 25, 2008
Today is Malaria Awareness Day, and Sunday we will receive an offering to help eliminate malaria from the
planet, through the purchase of mosquito nets for families who cannot afford them. Did you know that malaria
kills one person every 30 seconds, most of whom are children? Did you know that the United Methodist Church,
the National Basketball League, and Sports Illustrated have partnered to do something about this?
Check out these two sites, UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission) and Nothing But Nets, and
learn about how easy and important it is for us to help make a difference and save lives.
April 18, 2008
Every four years, there is a meeting of United Methodists from all over the world, called General Conference.
Each Annual Conference of the church sends a representative group of people to General Conference for 10
days, to do the business of the church, worship together, and proclaim the Gospel message as the portion of the
Body of Christ called "United Methodists." On Wednesday, April 23rd, General Conference begins in Fort Worth,
TX, and it will continue through May 2nd. You might want to keep watch in the news for statements from the
Church and/or updates on how things are going, but one of the ways we can stay connected to the work of this
body is to go to the General Conference 2008 web site. Here you can track legislation, get updates on the
events and worship, and share in prayer for those who are guiding our Church.
As you go through this week, I invite you to check in at least once a day. See what other UM members are
saying, and listen for Christ's voice, as the people of the United Methodist Church receive and follow the
movement of the Spirit, leading us toward God's future.
April 11, 2008
We have a special treat in store for Sunday Worship. We will be celebrating Native American Sunday, and part of
our outreach ministry has been focused very deliberately in sharing Christ's love with a local Native Tribe, the
Mattaponi. Over the last year and a half, we've developed a relationship with them that has included Mattaponi
worshipping with us, our providing nursing care and financial help to the reservation clinic, and recently we've
been doing repairs to the home of the chief of that tribe. Indeed, God is using us to care for them, but even more
powerfully, God is caring for and teaching us about ourselves through them.
This Sunday, we will have honorary Mattaponi member and regular Wellspring attendee, Angie “Silver Star”
Daniel, share with us some history of the Mattaponi and the Church's impact upon the tribe. In addition, Sharon
Sun Eagle will lead our prayer at both services, and The Custalow Brothers will sing for us at 10:45. Our own
Fred Dellamura will share with us words about the work team that has been a part of the repairs, and we'll
experience the joy of that work through pictures. This is a time to learn and celebrate what God is doing through
the Mattaponi to teach Wellspring more about what it means to care as Jesus cares, and I pray you'll be here to
celebrate.
If you want to learn more about the Mattaponi, I invite you to go to Mattaponi Indian Reservation to learn a
little bit about who the Mattaponi are.
April 4, 2008
If you were not here on Sunday, you might not have received the news that in June I will be moving to be the
pastor of another congregation, and a new pastor will be leading Wellspring. In the wake of the news,
appropriately, there have been lots of questions about the process by which the United Methodist Church assigns
pastors and matches pastors with churches. The process is called "The Itineracy," and I invite you to go to
Itineracy in the United Methodist Church to learn more about this unique and important aspect of our Church.
March 28, 2008
We have just completed an intense and wonderful liturgical season. Lent and Easter invite us to develop and
nurture our relationship with God, and that is a great blessing. The intent of Lenten study and devotion is to help
us develop new habits and build up our faith. However, it is very easy for us to step away from Lent and go back
to the old patterns of spotty prayer or time with God.
That being said, the opportunity before us is to continue building our relationship with God. It is to continue the
disciplines of faith and take the time to simply be with God.
To help out with this, I invite you to go to: Belief Net - Guided Mediations. There are a few guided
meditations listed, including some outside the Christian faith. These can be a wonderful way to center ourselves
as well as connect with God. Try it out, and see if you can continue what God has begun in you through Lent.
FYI – I am an occasional contributor to the online devotional, www.d365.org. Sunday through Saturday, my
submissions will be online if anyone would like to check them out.
March 21, 2008 - Good Friday
We are experiencing the Stations of the Cross today at the church, but there are other ways in which the stations
can be shared, including online. Check these out:
Stations of the Cross for Children
Stations of the Cross for Young Adults
Stations of the Cross with a focus on injustice and hunger
(Flash presentation takes a few moments to load, but WELL worth it)
A 360 degree angle of the Stations on the Via Dolorosa
The Stations for Children and Families
March 14, 2008
Sunday is Palm Sunday, and every Palm Sunday we receive Palms, many of which the children want to have
folded into Palm Crosses. I’m not great at this, but I did do a little research on how to fold them. So that I’m not
the only one doing this for the kids, here are a couple of sites, so you can practice making Palm Crosses.
St. Andrew & St. John - Folding Palm Crosses
King of Peace Palm Crosses
March 7, 2008
REMEMBER to move your clocks ahead 1 hour on Saturday night before you go to bed! It’s DAYLIGHT SAVING
TIME! Did you ever wonder why we “spring forward and fall back”? Do you ever want to know the origin of
Daylight Saving Time? Where did it start? What does it mean? Is it really necessary?
To answer these questions and more, go to: http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/d.html
February 29, 2008
This afternoon Cindi Eicher and I head to Washington DC for our Confirmation Retreat. There we will visit be
hosted by Metropolitan Memorial UMC, and tomorrow we will visit and learn about Wesley Seminary, the
Washington National Cathedral, and the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This is an opportunity for
our youth to learn more about the larger Church, but also experience what it means to be disciples of the God
whose love and work is revealed across the globe.
As you go through this weekend, I invite you to pray for us. First for safety and discovery, but also pray that we
will experience God's love and grace in powerful ways during this trip. Take some time to look at these web site,
so you might experience a bit of what we will be experiencing, then the next time you see us, please take the time
to ask us how the trip was. You might even ask if we saw "Darth Vadar"! (hint for some web searching at one of
the sites above...)
February 22, 2008
Many of you have visited the Wellspring web site in the past to find out information, read a sermon, or check out a
link of the week. It’s full of all kinds of stuff that we hope helps us to witness our mission to care as Jesus cares in
everything we do. However, if you haven’t been to the web site lately, you’ll want to.
Three weeks ago Lori Puhl began working with us as our Executive Secretary, and she brings with her a
background in web editing and design. Since beginning work she has given our web site a face lift and it debuted
earlier this week, with the final touch added yesterday of a really cool drop-down menu.
So the link of the week this week is… Wellspring United Methodist Church. Come on by and check us out!
**More labyrinth links: After last week’s witness many folks said they liked the labyrinth. Here are some more
labyrinth links to try:
Online translation of the Cathedral Labyrinth;
Explore Faith.org Labyrinth;
The Labyrinth and Inner Peace
February 15, 2008
Lent has always been described as “a journey.” We enter a season where we examine ourselves, reflect upon
God, and share together in moving toward the Cross of Christ. Whenever we encounter things in life which push
us deeper in our faith, we find ourselves changed. We discover things about ourselves. We journey toward God’
s destination for us.
There is an ancient meditation tool known as a “Labyrinth.” The most famous labyrinth is in a cathedral in France
in the town of Chartes. It is simply a pathway which leads toward a central destination, and it’s intent is to draw
the journeyer into a time of reflection about the journey of life and faith. It is a powerful tool, and in fact, there is a
local labyrinth located on the campus of Eastern State Hospital which is open to the public and which was
dedicated by the Stephen Ministers of Wellspring UMC.
In addition to a physical labyrinth, there are on line labyrinths which can give the same sense of entering a
journey toward understanding more of who we are and whose we are. There are a few links that I found in a
google search, but I invite you to go to: The Gratefulness Labyrinth. This one is interesting because it allows
one to move the mouse along the path, but at certain points pictures and reflective sayings come onto the screen
and encourage on to pause and think about life’s journey.
As we journey through Lent, I invite you to try some on line labyrinths or even go to Eastern State and walk the
labyrinth there. Pause from life and take the time to go to God in this unique and powerful means of Grace.
February 8, 2008
During Lent we provide devotions as a means of delving deeper into the spiritual life. This Lent we ordered
devotions which were compiled by The Society of St. Andrew, a ministry on the Eastern Shore of Virginia whose
vision is for all physical and spiritual hunger to be alleviated. I invite you to not just share in the devotionals for
this season but also to go to their website at: http://www.endhunger.org/. Look around. Check out some of
hunger facts, go to the links. Learn about hunger and learn about what you can do. Then allow the Spirit to
speak to you this Lent.
February 1, 2008
Why ashes on Ash Wednesday? Why this season of Lent? Why do we put ourselves through the spiritual
disciplines for 10% of the year? These and other questions are raised by Ken Collins, a friend of mine and fellow
pastor. I invite you to go to: Ken Collins' What's the Reason for Ashes on Ash Wednesday, then follow
some of the links. Ken has a wonderful way of bringing theology, faith, and practice to a level that makes sense
and hits home.
January 25, 2008
My sons came home just before Christmas and shared with us that the computer teacher put before the school a
challenge; to donate 1 million grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. I immediately asked,
“How?” And they took me to the computer and typed in: http://freerice.com/ We spent hours making a way for
donating rice to those in need while also practicing and learning vocabulary words.
Freerice.com is a web site that was started by a man whose son was practicing for his SATs. The son was bored
with vocabulary, so his father set out to challenge him. In doing so, a non-profit was established that is making a
difference to alleviate hunger across the globe.
I invite you to check it out. Not only does it make a way for rice to be donated, but it is a fun game to play.
Though I warn you, it’s highly addictive!
January 18, 2008
Since before my time here at Wellspring, this congregation has been partnering in ministry with the African-
American Baptist Church down the road. In the past we’ve held Vacation Bible School together, worked in
mission, including working together with the County in reaching out to youth at risk, and one of the great
traditions is the pulpit exchange, usually on Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend. That tradition continues this week.
Dr. Whitehead will preach at our 10:45 service, then I will head over to New Zion and preach at their 11:30
service. It is always a blessing.
I not only invite you to be a part of this event by coming to both the 10:45 service and their 11:30 service, but I
also invite you to check out their web site, which is: New Zion Baptist Church As you will see from the pictures
on the site, they are now in their BRAND NEW building, dedicated in the late fall. There you’ll get a sense of the
kind of energy and life of the Spirit which is a part of a great congregation in our community. Check it out and
enjoy!
January 11, 2008
Someone once said that “The Church exists for those outside.” We begin the year recognizing that we are called
to Light to those Outside – that our purpose as the Church is to share Christ’s love with the world. Our focus is
on injustice, compassion, and reaching out to be the hands and hearts of Christ to a world that needs to be loved
by God through us.
Human nature and church tradition, however, have a tendency to work against such ideals, because we like to
believe that the church exists for us, and we are most comfortable in our comfort zones. This is not unique to
Wellspring, but it is part of the constant wrestle of the faithful.
This in itself is worth reflecting upon and striving to accomplish, but there is a heightened sensibility to such ideals
as we take a step back from the everyday and look at some of the data of what God has placed on our path for
the future. That is, Virginia, and specifically James-City County is one of the fastest growing areas of the country,
and as such there is a plentiful harvest which God desires we be a part of receiving.
Here are some statistics: Did you know that it is projected that between 2000-2025, the population of James City
County is supposed to grow by more than 94%? Did you know that Virginia is one of the top 15 states in terms of
attracting young adults, and that our population of children/youth under 18 is projected to increase by more than
25% by 2030? Did you know that by 2030, it is projected that the median age of Virginians will be under 38 years
old?
Think about these statistics, then ask, what are we doing as a church to prepare for such an influx? Even more
importantly, what does God need us to do to meet the needs of such a future?
I invite us each to reflect upon these things, but I also invite you to go to: The Lewis Center for Church
Leadership / Plentiful Harvest . Here are the notes from Lovett Weems’ presentation given to the Virginia
Annual Conference this past June. Click on the links to the notes from the handouts. Download the Powerpoint.
Look at the population projections of “the Four Virginias.” Then pray and reflect, listening for God’s voice. God
is calling us to care as Jesus cares, most especially for those whom God sends our way.
January 4, 2008
We are ending the season of Christmastide and entering Epiphany. How much do you know about each of these
seasons? Why are they important? Check out these links. I learned a few things, and my guess is that you will
too.
During Christmas we sing a song about the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” Do you know what that song is really
about? For the answer, visit Dennis Bratcher's The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Every year on January 6th, we celebrate the Day of Epiphany, followed by the liturgical season of Epiphany. Did
you know that traditionally this is a more important day than Christmas Day? Do you know the significance of this
day and season? Dennis Bractcher also brings you The Season of Epiphany.